


Trained Guards, Accidental Parents

by ZipperNova



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Friendship, parental figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 16:46:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16957779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZipperNova/pseuds/ZipperNova
Summary: Prompto and Noctis converse about what Gladio and Ignis mean to them.





	Trained Guards, Accidental Parents

Prompto sat quietly as he blankly scrolled through the newsfeed on his phone. Noctis had noticed the other was much quieter than normal, but chose not to bring it up until he could converse with the blonde one on one, figuring he'd open up more if it were just them.

 

Eventually Prompto realized he hadn't actually been taking in anything he'd been looking at. No, he'd been lost in thought the entire time. He dragged his eyes up from his phone until they landed on his older companions, Gladio and Ignis. The sources of his current wandering mind. They were off by the camp stove, talking and preparing dinner. Their own attentions miles away from the two younger boys.

 

It wasn't anything bad, no. But it was a thought the photographer had found himself repeating in his mind for the last few days. Hell, if he really thought back on it, probably periodically since he'd met the two.

 

“Hey,” Noctis called softly. Prompto blinked before turning his gaze to the raven haired male, humming an acknowledgement. “You okay?”

 

“Yeah, why?” The blonde asked in confusion.

 

“You've been really quiet.”

 

“Ah, just thinking.”

 

“Must be serious.” Noctis gave a smile in hopes of encouraging the other to speak more. Prompto huffed out a laugh and readjusted himself in his camp chair.

 

“Nah, not really. Just something that's kind of stuck with me.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Prompto was quiet as he decided if it was really worth talking about. If he were honest with himself, no, it wasn't. But at the same time, perhaps if he finally discussed it out loud he would be able to move on from it.

 

“I was just thinking,” the blonde started slowly. “They're kind of like parents you know?”

 

Noctis too turned his gaze to his older friends. He stared momentarily, taking them and their current task in. He nodded slowly.

 

“Yeah I guess so.” He agreed.

 

“Like,” Prompto paused to collect his thoughts and figure out his wording. “I always feel safe around them?”

 

“Yeah.” Noctis nodded again, his tone more adamant than before.

 

“They always know what to do, and they're…” The blonde struggled to find the right word. “Bigger? I mean, they're just so in control you know?”

 

“Well, I guess, I mean,” the young prince, or king rather, continued to stare, not really seeing as he thought. “They've always been like that. Had to, I guess. They're my retainers so they have to protect me. Or Gladio does at least. Ignis took his role too seriously really.” He explained, looking back to Prompto. “Ignis has always made sure I was on top of things like homework and royal business. But then he started making meals and telling me I needed to keep things clean.” He chuckled a little at the memories. “He was like a parent eventually. So, I guess once he started doing all that and telling me what I needed to know for royal meetings and stuff, he kind of took on that role as a bigger and more in control person. I knew I could always go to him when I had questions about anything. Not like I could actually go to my dad you know.”

 

Prompto nodded as he listened.

 

“Yeah, Ignis knows everything and is always so planned out. He just has that air to him that you can rely on him to have answers.”

 

Noctis nodded. The silence stretched on as they continued to watch their older friends, the other two blissfully unaware of the conversation going on behind them.

 

“I think Gladio is kind of the same.” Noctis started back up. “I mean, even he listens to Ignis when he tells him to do something, but Gladio's big and strong so you just naturally feel safe around him. Like, who could beat him up, you know?” Noctis asked rhetorically, turning to the photographer. “But if he says to do something or not do something, it feels like you have to listen. Because he's probably right.” Another small pause. “Don't tell him I said that though or he'll never let me live it down.”

 

“No, no, of course not.” Prompto quickly agreed. “It's just… yeah, when they're around, everything feels safer and in control. Like, when we go on hunts and Ignis makes up a game plan or Gladio tells us it'll be an easy one or a hard one, I trust them you know? I feel safe. Even if Gladio says it'll be a challenge, he tells us he's gonna be right there you know? He's gonna help us and protect us. And I feel safe.

 

“But when they're gone, when it's just us, I get scared.”

 

Noctis nodded silently in agreement.

 

“L-like that time Ignis was really sick.” Prompto drew his eyebrows together in a frown at the thought of the memory. “It was scary. Not only because he was so sick, but because the brains of the operation were down. Even with just Ignis out things get scary. He's so smart and knows how to take care of everyone. If one of us were sick he would have stayed up with us all night to make sure we were okay. But instead Gladio took care of him and sent us to buy stuff.”

 

“And even that felt weird.” Noctis added.

 

“Yeah! I know we only had to go pick up medicine, and food, and stuff, but it was still weird! It was just us and, well I know we can handle that stuff but, it wasn't like when we'd get back Ignis would be there all better and waiting for us.”

 

“Yeah. Gladio even got a second room at the hotel that first night. So we didn't have to stay quiet the whole time… and so we wouldn't worry. But we did.”

 

“Out of sight, out of mind doesn't work when it's someone you look up as guidance.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“It's like, when you're a kid and you get hurt or have a bad dream, you want your parents there to comfort you. When Gladio and Ignis are gone, that comfort is too.”

 

Noctis sat quietly again as he realized that he too really did feel the same way about his longtime friends. He eventually chuckled and slouched down in his camp chair.

 

“They're like parents.” He said softly, repeating Prompto's earlier words. “Yeah. I guess so.”

 

It wasn't an important thought, but it was one that had plagued his mind for Six knew how long. Finally speaking it out loud and having his best friend agree made Prompto feel more confident in the topic being factual. Yes, Gladio and Ignis were the adults of the group. At three and two years older, respectively, than himself and Noctis, Gladio and Ignis had unintentionally taken on the parental and guidance roles for not only their liege, but also his pleb friend. Without them, the world seemed like a much bigger and scarier place, one that Prompto wasn't sure he could truly face alone. With one last look at his somewhat parental figures, Prompto let a smile cross his face and let the warmth of happiness and friendship surround him. Getting comfortable in his chair again, Prompto turned to Noctis.

 

“Hey, wanna play King’s Knight?”

**Author's Note:**

> Very short little piece about how I personally view Ignis and Gladio to Noctis and Prompto. I personally see them as the kind of people where, when they're around you don't really worry about bad things happening or getting scared because they're the big, strong adults and they'll comfort and protect you. Kind of like how you might feel as a child and you're in an unfamiliar place but your parents were with you so you weren't too worried.


End file.
